The Mission Briefing 2013: From Russia, with Love
by Papa Bear Awards
Summary: The wind howled over the infinite white plain, hurtling the thin snowflakes hither and thither... And in the middle of this too white landscape, a small dot, struggling against the wind, protectively clutching a heavy bag against his chest... A bag full of special editions of the Gazette perhaps?
1. From Russia, with Love

**Papa Bear Awards 2013**

**The Mission Briefing**

_**From Russia, with Love**_

_.**  
**_

The wind howled over the infinite white plain, hurtling the thin snowflakes hither and thither. A dazzling white from one horizon to another, and in the middle of this too white landscape, a small dot, struggling against the wind.

His hat pulled down, his scarf covering everything of his face save for the eyes, he protectively clutched the heavy bag he was carrying to his chest. He'd been told it was of truly paramount importance that it would reach its destination. And to accomplish that, the messenger struggled on, waist-deep in snow.

The temperature was way below zero. His legs were numb, but go on he must. Up the rise and...

"Oompf!"

Spluttering, the messenger sat up.

"Was...?" muttered the snowmound he just tried to climb.

And there, before his very eyes, rose none other than the feared snow giant from the Siberian tundra: Iwan the Terrible. Huge, white, rumbling, overpowering, angry, and... shivering?

"Brr, it's cold, isn't it? I must have dozed off for a moment, and look – I'm all snowed in already!"

The messenger scrambled to his feet. "You're a guard? Is this perhaps the 13th batallion then?"

"Um, jawohl, um..." The giant leaned forward and brushed some snow off the visitor's arm. "Jawohl, Lieutenant. This is indeed the 13th batallion. Or what's left of it. Sergeant Schultz reporting, sir." Iwan the Terrible saluted and in the process shook off some of the snow, revealing the very portly figure of the one time Sergeant of the Guard at Stalag 13.

"Good." The messenger let out a sigh of relief. "At least I've managed to complete my mission. I was ordered to deliver this here." He untangled himself from the bag he was carrying, and handed it over to the guard.

"What's this?" Schultz eyed the bag suspiciously. "It's heavy. Is it food?"

"It's the Papa Bear Awards. Sign here, bitte."

Schultz's face lit up as that of a child on Christmas Eve. "The Papa Bear Awards? Oh! So Colonel Hogan has not abandoned us – he... Kommandant!" He took off, trashing through the snow on his snow shoes. "Kommandant Klink! Wake up! The Papa Bear Awards are here!"

"Hey, wait! You haven't signed yet!" the messenger cried.

But Schultz had already burst into one of the little snow humps. "Kommandant! The Papa Bear Awards are here!"

"Schultz!" came a grumbling voice from inside, followed by a loud sneeze. "What happened to the art of knocking?"

"Verzeihung, Kommandant, but knocking on snow doesn't have the same effect as knocking on a door."

"I don't care what effect it has. Just make sure you knock before you come rushing in."

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."

"Now go outside again and knock before you enter."

"But Herr Kommandant..."

"Now!"

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."

But before he could wriggle himself back out of the narrow entrance, somebody else came crawling in. "Sergeant, you didn't... Oh, good morning, sir. Lieutenant Schwanzenstolz reporting."

"Go back!" Schultz hissed at him. "We have to knock before entering the Kommandant's snow hut."

"Oh, Schultz, don't be ridiculous. Come in, Lieutenant. At ease."

Schultz raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How come he doesn't have to knock?"

"Because he's not you. Now, Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

Lieutenant Schwanzenstolz shrugged. "A hot drink would be nice. But all I really need is for your Sergeant to sign for the acceptance of the Papa Bear Awards."

Klink sat up so suddenly that it looked like a bedspring just pinched him. (Not that they did have bedsprings at the Russian front of course.) "The Papa Bear Awards?" he stammered. "Did you say the Papa Bear Awards? Oh, Schultz, Colonel Hogan has not forgotten about us after all!"

Schwanzenstolz frowned. "Colonel Hogan? That name sounds awfully English."

"It is." Klink beamed. "It's American. He's the Senior Prisoner of War in the prison camp I used to command... my dear old Stalag 13..."

Schwanzenstolz's eyes narrowed. "And you refer to this Amerikaner as a friend who hasn't forgotten about you?"

"A friend? Oh, no! No. Not a friend!" Klink whinnied. "But when I got posted at the Russian front, he promised he'd send us the stories for the Papa Bear Awards as a comfy reminder of home. Of my old life as the toughest POW Kommandant in all of Germany." He looked around. "So where is it? The package, I mean."

Schwanzenstolz nodded to Schultz. "I gave it to the Sergeant. But he still needs to sign for it."

"I'll sign for it," Klink rushed out. "Now, Schultz, where is the package. Stories, Schultz – from home!"

"Um... it's outside, Kommandant. It hasn't knocked yet, you see, so I thought..."

"Dummkopf! Go get it!"

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant." Schultz crawled back outside, and returned with a bulging bag full of papers. "Here you are, Kommandant."

"Oh, Schultz..." The Kommandant had tears in his eyes, which didn't improve his ability to open the bag's clasps. But finally he got them undone, and pulled out a huge stack of papers. "Look, so many stories! And there's a little note, too – from Colonel Hogan. _'Dear Kommandant and Sergeant Schultz,'_ it says. _'As promised, one copy of this year's stories competing for the Papa Bear Awards. Please let us know your nominations by Friday, March 1__st__. The list of categories can be found in the attachment, and remember, only one (1) nomination per category! Only for the quotes are you allowed to send in three (3). There's about 150 stories here, so we hope they'll keep you warm through the Russian winter. And as a special treat, we've thrown in a special anniversary category this year, choosing the best of the 10 winners from the past editions. See the attachments for details!_

'_Wishing you all the best,_

_Col. Robert E. Hogan (temp. ret.)'_

"A hundred and fifty stories, Schultz!"

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."

"What kind of stories would a prisoner of war send his former enemy Kommandant?" Schwanzenstolz wanted to know.

"Very simple, Lieutenant: the kind of stories in which the prisoners are the heroes, by committing sabotage and espionage right under the noses of their jailors. Fiction, of course. Completely harmless. It was one of my schemes to keep the prisoners where they belong. One they actually enjoyed. It's no coincidence that no one ever escaped from Stalag 13, you know!"

"Then what, may I ask, is a crackerjack prison camp Kommandant doing at the Russian front?"

Klink's cheeks reddened. "Yeah, well, that was all a mistake. Let's not get into that, shall we? We'd better start reading if we want to read all of this before March 1st!" He pushed a few stories in Schultz's eager hands, a few in Schwanzenstolz's...

"Why me?" the man protested.

"Read it!" the Kommandant ordered. "If only to learn how to run a prison camp. That could only come in handy the next time you're up for a promotion!"

"But...!"

"Read it, I said! Or would you rather go straight back out there in the freezing cold to return to your outfit?"

Schwanzenstolz shivered. "Maybe not."

"Then read it. Here."

"But that letter was talking about categories and nominations and I know not what! I don't know all these things!"

"Here." Schultz handed him a few loose sheets. "The PBA for Beginners will help you out. And here's a description of what's expected of you. Even a page with Frequently Asked Questions."

"Yes," Klink chimed in. "Now let us read in peace, will you? We'd like to imagine ourselves back at our cozy little Stalag 13..."

Schwanzenstolz looked at the papers in his hands. "Escapists..." he muttered. But his curiosity won out by far over his wish to brave the icy cold again, and with a fatalistic sigh, he began to read the instructions for the Papa Bear Awards. Starting with _The Papa Bear Awards for Beginners_.


	2. The PBA for Beginners

**The PBA for Beginners**

.

The Papa Bear Awards is an annual game in which we elect the very best work in Hogan's Heroes fanfiction from the past year. It usually takes place between January and April, and has been around for several years – I believe since 2003.

We have several story categories, but we also elect the best portrayal of characters, the best quotes and the best teasers. Categories and rules have varied a bit over the years, but the basic idea has been the same: to elect and honour quality in Hogan's Heroes fanfiction.

The election process starts with a nominating round. Every HH fanfic author and every HH fanfic reader may nominate his favourites – this year 1 favourite in each category. It's not necessary to have read every story before you nominate – you can just nominate the best from among the stories you've read. And every nomination counts: one nomination is sufficient to continue to the voting round. (Only the most prestigious category "best story of 2012" works a bit. For more details, see the FAQ section!)

When all the nominations are in, they get published. Especially when there are so many stories to choose from as these past years, you may regard it as a very great honour to have your work nominated out of so many others!

Once the nominations are published, the voting round begins. In this round, everyone has 3 votes in each category. But we do ask that you try and read everything nominated in a category before making your decision in that category – for how can you make a well considered decision if you're not acquainted with all the good stuff that others nominated? Regularly, you'll discover some real jewels among the nominated work that you had missed during the year!

Of course it's not obligatory to participate in every category. If you are pressed for time, or if for example you don't like a certain category, you can just skip entire categories. As a matter of fact, the whole PBA is not obligatory at all. You can even choose to lurk in the dark, just having your stories out there and see what others think of it!

However, you don't have to feel obliged to stay away from nominating and voting just because you have stories participating this year. The majority of the nominators and voters in the PBA are in this position. As long as you can make an honest decision as to which story is best (and it may not always be your own), you are very welcome to participate. And rest assured: in order to prevent authors from shamelessly promoting their own work, we have a strict rule that authors cannot nominate their own work. Still, if someone else has nominated your work, you are indeed allowed to vote for it in the voting round :-)

Once all the votes are in, they will be tabulated. And the three winners in each category will be awarded a gold, a silver and a bronze Papa Bear Award. (Don't get your hopes up; it's nothing fancy – just a computer made pdf or jpg file :-) And of course the winners will get published in the next edition of The Stalag 13 Gazette here on the site!

.

And a few things to keep in mind:

The Papa Bear Awards are just a game.  
It's not a matter of life or death to win a Papa Bear Award.

Winning a Papa Bear Award will not grant you global fame.  
But it does feel good to know that your fellow HH authors appreciate your writing!

Participating in the Papa Bear Awards is free of charge.  
You won't win a million dollars with it either.

All HH stories that were completed in 2012 are in the PBA election by default.  
So you don't have to register to have them participate.  
(But feel free to tell us if you'd rather not have them participate.)

There is no reason to withdraw your work just because you feel shy.  
Let others be the judge of your writing  
And you might just be surprised at their opinion.  
FYI: every year, there is a fair number of new authors who win awards.  
Even gold awards!

The number of votes in the voting round are not made public.  
Thus if your story got nominated, but doesn't get any votes in the voting round  
You'll never know.  
Nor will anybody else.  
So no embarrassment.

With so many stories out there as this year  
It really is a great honour to get your work nominated out of so many others.  
Even if you don't win an award.

And if you don't get anything nominated  
Look around at the fierce competition and you'll know there's no reason to feel bad.  
Just concentrate on the positive reviews you got for your work  
And don't be discouraged: keep writing!

There is no reason to suddenly hurry your stories to an end.  
It's fairly certain that there will be another PBA next year for you to participate in.

The Papa Bear Awards is an election of the best fanfiction work.  
It's about the quality of writing.  
It's not a contest to see who has the most friends.

If you'd like to check out the winners of the earlier editions of the PBA  
You can find links to them from the PBA website - follow the link in our profile!

The Papa Bear Awards are organized by HH fanfic authors and readers just like you.  
We dedicate a lot of time to it

And have a lot of fun doing it  
But we don't make any money with it.

.

So who are we?

Konarciq  
(this year's director)

Mmwaveprincess, Sgt. Moffitt, Crystal Rose of Pollux, FloatingPizza, All-things and ColHogan  
(assistants in practical matters)

Jodm, Marie1964, and Snooky-9093  
(this year's support team – they advise and supervise)

And remember:

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

We're only a PM or an email away!

* * *

"Alright," Schwanzenstolz sighed. "I get the picture. So what are those categories?"

"Ssh!" Klink hissed. "I'm _reading_! Just look at the papers. It's there somewhere."


	3. This Year's Categories

Schwanzenstolz leafed through the bundle in his hand. "Oh, here it is."**  
**

* * *

**Basic rule this year: nominate 1, vote for 3!**

So you may nominate 1 favourite in each category. Yes, only 1 this year!

The only exception is the category for *best quote* -  
there you may still nominate 3.

* * *

A little overview of this year's categories:

**Best story of 2012**  
The ultimate honour!

**Best snapshot**  
The best story told in less than 1,000 words!

**Best short drama **(1,000-5,000 words)**  
Best long drama **(5,000+ words)**  
**The story with the strongest, most compelling dramatic impact!

**Best short comedy **(1,000-5,000 words)  
**Best long comedy** (5,000+ words)  
Simply the funniest story!

**Best short general story **(1,000-5,000 words)  
**Best long general story** (5,000+ words)  
The best story that has both drama and comedy, or neither!

**Best story based on an episode of the series**

**Best story based on a challenge**

**Most unique story**  
A story with a unique plot twist, unusual writing style,  
or one that is simply just strange and different and… well… unique!

**Best poem, filk or songfic **

**Best crossover story**  
The best story in which the Heroes work together with people from other fandoms.

**Best portrayal of a canon character**  
Who portrays the main Hogan's Heroes characters best?  
This is where you nominate the best portrayal of  
Hogan, Klink, Schultz, LeBeau, Newkirk, Kinch, Carter, Burkhalter and Hochstetter.

**Best portrayal of a canon extra**  
Best character performance from any other regular or guest character who originates from the original TV-show,  
ranging from semi main cast member Baker to the merely mentioned Nimrod,  
from Frau Linkmeyer to Freddy,  
and from the sergeant of the motorpool to the guy on the back bunk in barracks 2.

**Best original character**  
Best original (new) character created for a story that you would have enjoyed seeing in the actual TV-show.

**Best teaser**  
The most tickling teaser or summary that makes you want to read the story right away!

**The best quote**  
The most interesting (funniest or moving or silly or so very true or...) line or lines you've come across this year.  
But: – keep it short (in dialogue max statement - reply - reaction;  
in descriptive text max three lines (e.g. from capital to period))  
– and make sure it makes sense even outside its context.

This year only:  
**The best defense in Fanfic Court**  
Which author did the best job in our infamous Fanfic Court?

And a special 10th anniversary category:  
**The Ten Golden Oldies**  
From the 10 winners of the past editions of the PBA,  
which story do you think is the very very best of them all?


	4. Ten Golden Oldies

**10****th**** Anniversary Award**

_**Ten Golden Oldies**_

._**  
**_

Which of the winners of the "best story of the year" in the past 10 years do you think is the best of them all?

* * *

**How does this work?**

Below you find a list with links to the 10 stories that have won the category "best story of the year" of all the past editions of the PBA.

For each of them that you've read, you decide what grade you'd give that story on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents 'horrible' and 10 'excellent'.

You can send in your grades anytime between now and the closing date for the voting round (somewhere in mid April).

The story with the highest average grade will be awarded a special 10th anniversary award.

Note: you do not have to read each and every of these Ten Golden Oldies in order to participate in this category. Even if you've only read one of them, you can send in your grade for that single one. But when you think about the fact that these 10 stories were chosen to be the very best of their year by your fellow HH authors and readers, it is certainly worth checking them out if you have a chance!

Note: the story _Master Manipulator_ as it is now to be found on ffnet is *not* the original version that won the PBA a few years ago – it's a recent rewrite. We are trying to establish whether the original version is still available somewhere on the Internet. We'll keep you posted in the Mission Briefing on ffnet!

* * *

**The eligible stories here:**

2003 **End Game**, by Patti and Marg

2004 **Game Double Play**, by Patti and Marg

2005 **There's No Place Like Home**, by Linda Groundwater

2006 **Master Manipulator** (the old version - we'll have to see if it's still available in that edition), by GSJessica aka Guildsister

2007 **Common Enemies, Uncommon Friends**, by Hotcorner

2008 **Endurance**, by Linda Groundwater

2009 **Return to the Skies**, by Linda Groundwater

2010 **The Stalag 13 Gazette**, by Snooky-9093 (editor) and a whole bunch of other contributors

2011 **Rendezvous**, by Dust on the Wind

2012 **Return of the Informer**, by Sgt Moffitt

.

You can find links to these 10 stories on the PBA website, and in the HH communities section here on ffnet:

**PBA 2013: The Ten Golden Oldies**

* * *

_Q: One of my stories is listed in the special Ten Golden Oldies category.  
Am I allowed to send in a grade for it, too?_

A: Yes, you may.  
But just as in the 'normal' voting round, be honest about it!  
I'm sure you'll understand it would look highly suspicious if you rewarded your own story with a 10, and all the others with 2's and 3's...  
We expect you to be able to make an honest judgement regarding both your own and other people's stories,  
and not let your desire to win influence your decisions  
– at least not too much :-)  
The PBA staff (in consultation with the PBA committee) reserves the right to ignore your grades in this particular category  
if there is an all too flagrant case of self-preference to the detriment of the other entries.

In other words: authors with stories participating in this special category, we'll be watching you! :-)

* * *

_Q: Do I have to assign each of the grades 1 to 10 to a story, or can I grant each of them a 10 if I want to?_

A: Yes, you can give the same grade to more than one story.

* * *

**Closing date for sending in your grades for these stories: **

_**Mid April, 2013**_

**(exact date to be determined)**


	5. The Rules of the Game

The rules in the game of

**THE PAPA BEAR AWARDS 2013**

Now accepting nominations for the stories completed in 2012!

.

- The guideline for the categories given with the stories is just that: a guideline. Feel free to deviate from it if you think a story would fit better in another category.

Only the crossovers are only eligible in their own category, and cannot be nominated anywhere else.

* * *

_Question:__ My favourite story has been assigned to drama, but I would like to nominate it in the general category. Can I do that?_

_Answer:__ Yes, you can. Only crossover stories have a strict category assignment. For the others, the choice is pretty much up to you. And the given assignment is merely a guideline to help you. _

* * *

– You may nominate a story only once in the story categories . So if story A is both hilarious and unique, you´ll have to take your pick where you think it would do best: the comedy section or the most unique category. You cannot nominate the story in both categories.

* * *

_Question: if I nominate my favourite story in (for example) the comedy section, can I still nominate characters, quotes and teasers from that story?_

_Answer: Yes, you can. The restriction of one nomination per story applies __only__ to the story categories (e.g. drama, comedy, general, snapshot, challenge, episode, unique, poetry and crossover). If you like, you could even nominate the teaser and all your quotes and characters from one single story. However, with no less than 148 stories to choose from... _:-)

* * *

- The nomination for *best story of 2012* works a little different. You may nominate 1 story there – the very very best! However, it depends on the overall number of nominations the story receives whether or not it will go to the voting round for *best story of 2012*. See FAQ.

Only in this category are you allowed to nominate a story you have nominated elsewhere as well (for example in best drama or based on an episode).

Mind you, crossover stories are not eligible for *best story of 2012*.

– The best quote: this is the only category where you may nominate 3! But there are strict rules to go by:  
1) keep it short (in dialogue max statement - reply - reaction; in descriptive text max 3 lines (e.g. from capital to period)  
2) it must make sense even outside its context.  
Failing these two basic rules, the nomination will be refused. If there is still time, the nominator may send in another quote instead.

- The best defense in Fanfic Court: which author did the best job in our infamous Fanfic Court? In this category, you look at the entire storyline (most of them containing several chapters) written by a particular author, and you nominate the author whose contribution you like most. A reading guide to this will be provided soon, to help you find your way among the many many chapters.

Note: Fanfic Court II can be nominated in its entirety as well in the story categories.

- The Ten Golden Oldies: the Papa Bear Awards has arrived at its 11th edition by now. Which means that we've had 10 worthy winners in the past ten years. But which of the winners of "best story of the year" (or "best overall story" as it used to be called) is the very very best?

Go and try out the gems from previous years! For every one of them you've read, you can send in your judgement by using a scale of 1 to 10: 1 is horrible, 10 is excellent. You don't have to read them all (though it's certainly worth striving for, considering that your fellow HH authors and readers considered them to be the very best of their year!) – you just send in your judgement/grades for the ones you've read. And the story with the highest average grade will win a very special award – perhaps we can call it a Diamond Award?

Links to these Ten Golden Oldies can be found on the PBA website – follow the link in our profile! We hope to get a link to the original Master Manipulator story up as soon as possible, since the present version on ffnet is a recent rewrite.

Note: The Ten Golden Oldies category has no separate nomination and voting round. You can just send in your marks anytime between now and the closing date for the votes (mid April).

– You are free to skip nominating/voting in categories you're not interested in.

– No nominations of your own work in any category! Once your work has been nominated by someone else, you will be allowed to vote for it in the second round. But _nominating_ your own work is VERBOTEN.

– Nominations have to be signed with your name, your email address and – if you have one – your ffnet pen name. The honour system applies!

– Nominations have to be in no later than **Friday, March 1st, 2013**, and the only way to send them in is by ffnet PM to Papa Bear Awards, or by email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com.

- In case a story gets nominated in more than 2 story categories (not counting the *best story of 2012*), the author will be contacted to decide in which story categories this story will be competing in the voting round. If the author does not reply with a decision within a week, the PBA staff will make the decision instead.

– The list of nominees in each category will be published in the days following, and from there on, people will have approximately six weeks to cast their vote: 3 votes in each category. In that round, authors will be allowed to vote for their own work – once someone else has nominated it. This will be explained in more detail when the time has come.

– And seeing that there are so many stories this year, a little reading guide.

There is no need whatsoever to have read every story before sending in your nominations! Of course it's laudable to try and read all the stories before making your choice, but for many of us, it's hardly realistic considering the demands of real life.

If you don't have the time to read all the stories before the nomination deadline, just pick out the stories you remember that made a real impression on you, and that in your opinion deserve to go on to the final round. Unless of course you already read them all as soon as they were published. :-)

– And remember: the purpose of the Papa Bear Awards is to seek out and honour quality writing. It's not a social contest to see who has the most friends!

– A complete overview of the stories and the categories they've been assigned to can be found on the PBA homepage. They are listed there by category, by word count, and in alphabetical order, with a direct link to each and every one of them.

– Note: if you know of any stories missing (perhaps outside ffnet?), please contact us as soon as possible to correct the matter!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us by PM!

**Closing date for nominations: **

_**March 1st, 2013**_

* * *

"Alright, so how do we nominate? Send a pigeon?"

"Ssh!" Klink hissed. "We're _reading_!"_**  
**_


	6. A Template for Nominations

How to nominate:

If you want to make sure you include all the necessary information,  
you can copy and paste this form into an email or a Word document, complete it, and mail it to:

papabearawards at yahoo dot com

no later than **Friday, March 1st, 2013.**

**Name:**

**ffnet pen name: **

**Email address:**

**MY NOMINATIONS FOR THE PAPA BEAR AWARDS:**

**Best story of 2012:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best snapshot:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best short drama:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best long drama:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best short comedy:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best long comedy:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best short general story:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best long general story:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best story based on a challenge:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best story based on a TV episode:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Most unique story:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best poem, filk or songfic:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best crossover story:  
**Title:  
Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon character:  
**Character:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon extra:  
**Character:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best portrayal of an original character:  
**Character:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best teaser:  
**Teaser:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best quote:  
**_(Remember: max statement - reply - reaction in dialogue; or max 3 lines (from capital to period) descriptive text; and it has to make sense outside its context!)  
_Quote:  
Said by:  
Story:  
Author:

Quote:  
Said by:  
Story:  
Author:

Quote:  
Said by:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best Defense in Fanfic Court II:  
**Author:

**Have you read any of the Ten Golden Oldies stories?  
**If so:  
Title:  
Grade:

(add more of the Ten Golden Oldies if needed)

**Closing date for nominations: **

_**March 1st, 2013**_


	7. Frequently Asked Questions

Schwanzenstolz put down his papers. "So what's the whole idea with this?"

"Ssh!" Schultz didn't even look up. "We're _reading_! Just look at the Frequently Asked Questions page. There you'll find answers to practically everything. Just let us read in peace, okay?"**  
**

* * *

**FAQ**

.**  
**

_Q: What is the purpose of the Papa Bear Awards?_

A: The purpose of the Papa Bear Awards is to seek out and give recognition to quality writing, and to acquaint fellow authors and readers with the best work in the fandom of Hogan's Heroes.

* * *

_Q: How does the PBA work?_

A: First the authors and readers of Hogan's Heroes fanfiction nominate the works completed during 2012 that they consider to be of outstanding quality. All the nominated work goes to the voting round*, in which both authors and readers decide which works are really the very, very best of this past year.  
* An exception is the category *best story of 2012*. See _Q: How does the nomination for *best story of 2012* work?_

* * *

_Q: How do I know which stories are eligible?_

A:You can find the complete listings on the PBA website. Just follow the link in our profile.

* * *

_Q: Where do I send my nominations and votes?_

A: You can send them by email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com, alternatively to Papa Bear Awards by ffnet PM.

* * *

_Q: My favourite story has been assigned to drama, but I would like to nominate it in the general category. Can I do that?_

A:Yes, you can. Only crossover stories have a very strict category assignment. For the others, the choice is pretty much up to you. The given assignment is merely a guideline to help you find your way.

* * *

_Q: What exactly are those word counts?_

A: Snapshots are stories of less than 1,000 words.  
Short stories (comedy, drama, general) are between 1,000 and 5,000 words.  
Long stories (comedy, drama, general) are those that have more than 5,000 words.  
The other story categories do not have a division by word count.

* * *

_Q: This story has 5100 words. Can I nominate it for short story? _

A: No, you can't. The division by word count in the categories drama, comedy, general and snapshot is very strict. No exceptions!

* * *

_Q: This poem has only 400 words. Can I nominate it as a snapshot?_

A: You could, but due to their special character, poems, filks and songfics should preferably be nominated in their own category, where they compete with works of a similar kind. PBA history has shown that they tend so stand little or no chance in 'normal' story categories. Unless of course you think it to be of such outstanding quality that it merits being nominated as *best story of 2012*!

* * *

_Q: Where do I nominate a story that is listed as (for example) friendship/hurt-comfort? There is no category for those!_

A: When there is no clear category assignment, the author has left the choice entirely up to you. So you may decide for yourself whether you think it would fit best as comedy, drama, general, unique etc.

* * *

_Q: I notice that some of the eligible stories on the list are not marked *complete* on ffnet. How come they are in anyway?_

A: Some authors have reported trouble: ffnet wouldn't let them mark their story or stories as complete. Rest assured that the stories on the list that are not marked as *complete* on ffnet have been double checked with the authors, and are indeed supposed to be complete!

* * *

_Q: This story is listed as comedy, general, challenge and episode. That's great! Can I nominate this same story in all four of those categories?_

A: No, you can't. You may nominate one and the same story in only 1 story category. So if you nominate story A in the challenge category, you cannot nominate that same story in episode, general and comedy as well. You need to pick one!  
The only category where you may nominate the same story for a second time is the category *best story of 2012*. See below for explanation.

* * *

_Q: If I nominate my favourite story in (for example) the comedy section, can I still nominate characters, quotes and teasers from that story?_

A: Yes, you can. The restriction of one nomination per story applies only to the story categories (e.g. drama, comedy, general, snapshot, challenge, episode, unique, poetry and crossover). If you like, you could even nominate the teaser and all your quotes and characters from one single story. However, with no less than 148 stories to choose from... :-)

* * *

_Q: What happened to the slash and the supernatural categories?_

A: Both slash and supernatural usually have their own category, because due to their special character they tend to have a hard time competing with mainstream HH stories. This year however, there are only 2 supernatural stories and 3 slash stories (two of which are doubtful whether they really would count as slash). We do not consider this a viable basis for them having their own category if there is so little to choose from to start with.  
Therefore, they are thrown in with the rest this year. The plan is to allow them to participate *again* next year (much like we did with the international stories last year), in the hope of having enough stories then for two years combined to make for a viable slash category and supernatural category.

* * *

_Q: I have a story participating in the PBA this year. Is it okay for me to participate in the nominating and voting?_

A: Yes, you are very welcome to participate in the nominating and voting. In fact, most people participating have eligible stories out there. Just make sure you don't nominate your own work!

* * *

_Q: How do I nominate my favourite story? _

A: You check the PBA homepage (follow the link in our profile) to see which stories are eligible this year. Once you've made your decision about what you want to nominate in which category, you can send an email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com. If you want to be sure you include all the necessary information, you can use the template – see chapter 5.

* * *

_Q: Do I have to read all the stories before I decide on my nominations?_

A: No, you don't. Of course it's laudable to try and read all the stories before making your choice, but with the numbers we tend to have in the PBA these past years, it's hardly realistic. In the nomination round, it's perfectly okay to choose your nominations from among the stories you have read – whether they are 14 or 148.

* * *

_Q: Do I have to nominate in every category?_

A: No, you don't. Feel free to skip the categories you're not interested in.

* * *

_Q: I'm not interested in crossovers – they tend to be about TV shows I have never seen. Do I have to nominate in that category?_

A: No, you don't have to nominate in every category. You are free to limit yourself to the categories you're interested in.

* * *

_Q: How many nominations are needed to go to the voting round?_

A: One nomination is sufficient for a story, character, teaser or quote to go to the voting round. The only exception to this rule is the category *best story of 2012* - see below.

* * *

_Q: How does the nomination for *best story of 2012* work?_

A: You can nominate 1 story in our most prestigious category: the *best story of 2012*. This can be a story you nominated in another story category as well – mind you, this is the only category where you are allowed to do that!  
However, this is also the only category where your nomination does not automatically let the story go to the voting round. That depends on the overall number of nominations the story receives.  
In short, to go to the voting round in the category *best story of 2012*, a story must:  
- receive at least 1 nomination in the category *best story of 2012*.  
- _and_ it must receive nominations from other people in the story and/or character categories.  
Only the stories that have been nominated by the most people will go on to the voting round for *best story of 2012* - we are aiming at approximately 7 to 10 stories in this category in the voting round.  
I know it sounds complicated. Rest assured that the complication is limited to our tabulating the nominations. All _you_ need to do is to nominate your absolute favourite story!

* * *

_Q: How does the Ten Golden Oldies category work?_

A: You can find a list with links to the 10 winning stories of the past editions of the PBA here. For each of them that you've read, you decide what grade you'd give that story on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents 'horrible' and 10 'excellent'. You can send in your grades anytime between now and the closing date for the voting round (somewhere in mid April) – there is no separate nominating and voting round in this category. The story with the highest average grade will be awarded a special anniversary award.  
Note: you do not have to read each and every of these Ten Golden Oldies in order to participate in this category. Even if you've only read one of them, you can send in your grade for that single one. But when you think about the fact that these 10 stories were chosen to be the very best of their year by your fellow HH authors and readers, it is certainly worth checking them out if you have a chance!  
Note: the story _Master Manipulator_ as it is now to be found on ffnet is *not* the original version that won the PBA a few years ago – it's a recent rewrite. We are trying to establish whether the original version is still available somewhere on the Internet. We'll keep you posted in the Mission Briefing on ffnet!

* * *

_Q: One of my stories is listed in the special Ten Golden Oldies category. Am I allowed to send in a grade for it, too?_

A: Yes, you may. But just as in the 'normal' voting round, be honest about it! I'm sure you'll understand it would look highly suspicious if you rewarded your own story with a 10, and all the others with 2's and 3's... We expect you to be able to make an honest judgement regarding both your own and other people's stories, and not let your desire to win influence your decisions – at least not too much :-)  
The PBA staff (in consultation with the PBA committee) reserves the right to ignore your grades in this particular category if there is an all too flagrant case of self-preference to the detriment of the other entries.

* * *

_Q: In the Ten Golden Oldies category, do I have to assign each of the grades 1 to 10 to a story, or can I grant each of them a 10 if I want to?_

A: Yes, you can give the same grade to more than one story.

* * *

_Q: How does the special Fanfic Court category work?_

A: You decide which one of the participating authors in _Fanfic Court II: This Time It's Personal_ wrote the best contribution to the story. And that means that their *entire* contribution (often spread out over several chapters which are spread out all over the story!) is the basis for your nomination – not just one single chapter!  
We hope to get a guideline to this up soon, helping you to find your way to which author wrote which chapters.  
This also is the only category where the nominee is the author himself/herself. So your nomination looks like:  
Best Defense in Fanfic Court: Author X.

* * *

_Q: Can I still nominate the entire story of Fanfic Court II in other categories as well, for example as best comedy?_

A: Yes, you can.

* * *

_Q: I don't know whether character A was originally a guest character, or whether the author just made him up. Where do I nominate him?_

A: To be on the safe side, you can ask the author, alternatively the PBA staff.

* * *

_Q: Can I nominate quotes from my own stories, like we did a few years ago?_

A: No, you can't. That option has been dropped this year. No nominations of your own work are allowed in any category.

* * *

_Q: Where do I find good quotes without reading every story?_

A: An option is to browse through the reviews. Many reviewers mention a particularly good quote from a chapter in their review.

* * *

_Q: I'm missing a few stories that have been completed this year. Why aren't they eligible?_

A: Three possible reasons.  
1) The story has been newly edited and reposted, but has already participated in a previous edition of the PBA.  
2) The author has decided to withdraw this particular story from participation in the PBA.  
3) If the story has only been published outside ffnet, we may simply have missed it. If that is the case, please let us know ASAP!

* * *

_Q: I don't have an ffnet account, but I enjoy reading Hogan's Heroes fanfiction. Can I participate in the nominating and voting of the PBA?_

A: Yes, you can.

* * *

_Q: How do I vote?_

A: Once it is time to vote, you will find the instructions in a later chapter of this story. For now however, we're just nominating!

* * *

_Q: Where do I send my votes?_

A: You can send them by email to papabearawards at yahoo dot com, alternatively by ffnet PM. You will always receive a confirmation once your votes have been registered.

* * *

_Q: Do I have to vote in every category?_

A: No, you don't have to vote in every category. If you are pressed for time, or if some categories simply don't interest you, it's perfectly okay to limit yourself to voting in only a few categories. Or even only one.

* * *

_Q: My favourite story has been nominated in two categories. Can I vote for that story in both categories?_

A: Yes, you can.

* * *

_Q: My own story/character/teaser/quote has been nominated. Am I allowed to vote for it now?_

A: Yes, you can vote for your own work, if you are indeed convinced that your work is the best in that category. But be honest about it!

* * *

_Q: Do I have to read everything before casting my vote?_

A: In order to make a fair and well–considered decision, it is certainly advisable to have read everything in a category before deciding on your vote in that category.

* * *

_Q: Why can't crossovers qualify for "best overall story"?_

A: The "best overall story" should be accessible and comprehensible for everyone who enjoys Hogan's Heroes – period. We know (and their authors know) by experience that this genre has a limited audience.  
To understand a crossover, you have to be acquainted with another TV-show, movie, book etc. in order to even begin to comprehend the story.  
Therefore, we do not consider stories from this genre suitable to perhaps end up being "the best Hogan's Heroes story that every HHfan should read", no matter how good they are.  
As a side note: in none of the past four editions of the PBA have stories from the crossover category made it to the "best overall" category – even when it was done by direct nomination.

* * *

_Q: I would like to help with the PBA organization. Is there anything I can do?_

A: For this year, all tasks have pretty much been divided. However, if you'd like to help next year, just drop us an email, and we'll notify you once the preparations for next year go underway!

.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

_Enjoy your reading!_

* * *

_.  
_

"Hm," Schwanzenstolz muttered. "I suppose it beats getting frozen out there on the tundra. I'd better start reading..."

"Ssh!" Schultz hissed. "I'm _reading_!"

.

.

Author's note: And considering that by now it's well past midnight here in the dazzling white of Russia, you may all congratulate me as well, since today is my 40th birthday! :-)


	8. Schwanzenstolz reads Fanfic Court II

"I don't get it," Schwanzenstolz muttered. Sure, he was nicely curled up in a blanket, with a volumous stack of papers in front of him by the light of a paraffin lamp. But this story he was reading was plain weird!

"Ssh," was all he got in reply from his snow hut mates.

He rolled his eyes. It sure beat struggling through the snow and the icy wind to be here with these two escapists and read stories - but this story just didn't make sense! So many oddities, and what was the actual point of view? It seemed to be a different story - albeit along similar lines - with every chapter that he turned!

He sidled up to the big sergeant. "Serge, just tell me. Are you acquainted with this Fanfic Court thing?"

"Oh!" Schultz chuckled. "Well, that's a good one to start with - not! Anyway, the previous version sure had its funny moments. This one, too?"

Schwanzenstolz sighed. "I don't know. I can't seem to make heads or tails of it."

"Here. Let me have a look." Schultz put down his own precious reading material and leafed through the volumous stack representing Fanfic Court II. "Here - look. They've included a list who wrote what chapter. It's a group effort, this one. If you read the story following one author at the time, I'm sure it'll make more sense."

Schwanzenstolz looked glumly at the last page. "Boy, this is complicated. But I suppose this'll help."

He was talking to a warm hat and a helmet, for Schultz had already returned to his own tale.

And Schwanzenstolz sighed. "Okay, let's see which author I'm going to follow through this court story first."

"Ssh!" came the reaction from his two snow hut mates. "We're _reading_!"

* * *

_Author's note: Here a list - sorted by author - who wrote which chapters in Fanfic Court. I hope I got them all correct!_

Lizzi0307: 1 and 6

Snooky-9093: 2, 10, 16, 28, 36, 37, 41, 42, 43 and 50

Jinzle: 3, 15 and 23

Hogan MacGyver: 4, 22 and 49

Crystal Rose of Pollux: 5 and 24

Canadian Hogan's Fan: 7, 12, 29, 34 and 38

ColHogan: 8, 18, 32, 40 and 44

Bits and Pieces: 9

waikiki23: 11, 39 and 56

konarciq: 13, 25 and 45

Sgt. Moffitt: 14 and 19

Sophia Villo: 17, 51, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59 and 60

80sarcades: 20, 26, 30, 35, 46 and 47

dust on the wind: 21, 27, 31 and 33

mmwaveprincess: 48, 52 and 53


	9. Of Pigeons and Elks

"Hey Sergeant," Schwanzenstolz whispered. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm."

"How do we send in our nominations?"

"By PM of course."

"PM?"

"Yes." Schultz sighed. "Pigeon Mail. Donnerwetter, these pigeons..."

"Why? What's wrong with them? Do they get lost? I thought that pigeons were supposed to be able to find their way home no matter where they are!"

"No. No, it's not that. They just have a habit of eating the return address off the messages they carry. No matter _how_ you tie the message on to them, they seem to _know_ where the return address is - and just eat it! Makes it a bit difficult, you know, for the organizers to send a confirmation. And to have the proof that we are who we say we are."

Schwanzenstolz bit his lip. "Eerie pigeons if you ask me. I bet they're an Allied invention, aren't they. How come we don't know anything about such pigeons?"

Schultz shrugged. "I don't know. I prefer to know _nothing_."

"So is there anything we can do to stop them from eating the return address?"

"Yep. Disguise it, so that it doesn't look like an address anymore. It seems to work so far. They haven't caught on to us yet. Or else we can send in our nominations directly by E-mail."

"E-mail? What's that?"

"Elk Mail. A very special construction, where you have to set up wires from one elk to another, all the way to where you want to send your message. And then you send your message by that wire. A bit like a telegraph. It's safer for one thing: the elks don't eat the messages. But it'd take an awful lot of elks to get a message all the way from Russia to Hamelburg..."

Schwanzenstolz looked doubtful, and Schultz sighed. "I don't know, I've never tried it. But we know from previous occasions that PM's and E-mail can be used to send in one's nominations. But back in camp, we always used the radio."

"A radio? But..."

Schultz sighed. "Don't worry about it, Lieutenant. We'll find a way. For now, just read on, will you?"

* * *

.

_Author's note: and a little clarification on the Ten Golden Oldies since we've had some questions about them. _

_1) You don't have to read all 10 in order to participate in this category._

_2) Having a story of yours eligible in that category is no reason to stop you from participating in it._

_3) You are encouraged (and strongly so!) to give a grade to *any* of those 10 stories that you've read - not just to your 1 favourite! The more grades we get for each story, the more balanced view we get of which story is considered the best of them all!_


	10. Back at Stalag 13

_Meanwhile, back at Stalag 13..._

_._

"Colonel? Are you down here?"

"Yes, Carter, come on down - if no one is watching, that is."

Carter hurried down the ladder, and quickly pulled the mechanism to close the trap door again. "How's it going, Colonel?"

Hogan sighed. "Not good. With that radio truck sitting right outside camp, we can't contact London to pass on our nominations."

"Boy, that Captain Gruber really knows how to spoil a fun game, doesn't he..."

"Yeah, we couldn't get him to read even _one_ of the stories," Kinch sighed.

"It would have given us some leeway to get some missions done, if we could get him engrossed in these stories," Hogan agreed. "Anyway, how are things upstairs? Any new decisions on nominations yet?"

"Yes, that's why I wanted to see you. I've got my list ready. But boy, was it difficult to make a decision!"

"Good, give it to Kinch. He'll transmit them to London as soon as the aether is free again." He turned to their radioman. "How many do we have in now, Kinch?"

"With Carter's included - nine," was Kinch's sober reply.

"Only nine?" Carter's face opened up. "That's not much, is it? But then, I suppose most people are still busy reading. It's still awfully quiet upstairs."

"And they still got another week." Kinch glanced through Carter's list. "Hey, I was going to nominate that one, too!"

"Well, maybe if everyone likes it, we can make it win together!" Carter grinned. "By the way, Colonel, have you heard from the Kommandant yet? And Schultz?"

"Nope. We sent them a whole cage full of pigeons, but none of them have returned here yet."

"Let's hope the freezing Russians haven't shot them down and used them for supper," Kinch murmured.

"Or maybe they'll fly straight to London. Hey!" Carter jumped up. "Why can't _we_ use pigeon mail to send our nominations to London?"

"Carter..." Hogan sighed. "In case you hadn't noticed - Kommandant Klink has been replaced, and we haven't had enough time yet to train his successor to be equally cooperative for the Allied war effort."

Carter scowled. "Boy, are you right. This place is almost like a prison nowadays." His face brightened again. "Well, at least we got a lot of good stories to pass the time!"

* * *

_Author's note: Remember - **only 1 week left** to send in your nominations for the PBA! Deadline is next Friday, March 1st at 23.59.59 Hawaii time!_


	11. Trouble in Winter Wonderland

_Back in Russia, where (on February 27th, 2013) it is by now well above freezing during the day...  
_

_._

"Schultz, are you ready?"

"Almost, Herr Kommandant." Schultz sighed, and kept glancing back and forth between the two sets of papers in his hand. "It's just so difficult to make up my mind."

"But the pigeon really needs to go now," Schwanzenstolz agreed. "Or it will never make it back to the Düsseldorf area before midnight on Friday."

"Midnight Hawaii time - that's practically midday in Hamelburg," Schultz corrected.

"Still, we have to count with bad weather. There might be another snow front moving in," Schwanzenstolz pointed out.

Schultz sighed. "Alright, alright..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Eenie meenie minie mo..." He peeked with one eye. "Okay, this one wins. This will be my nomination for the best story of the year." He gazed at the story with the pride of a new father. "Yes. It would be a worthy winner."

"It hasn't won yet, Schultz." The Kommandant sounded irritated. "Now jot down that last one and let's get that pigeon outside."

Obediently, Schultz did as he was told. The Kommandant took his list and rolled it into the little cylinder, and while Schwanzenstolz held the cooing bird, he tied it onto the pigeon's neck.

"Okay. Ready to go. Schultz?"

"Yes, Herr Kommandant?"

"You go out and point that pigeon in the right direction."

Schultz's eyes grew wide. "Me, Herr Kommandant? Herr Kommandant, out here in the middle of a snowy nowhere, I wouldn't know the difference between up and down! And you expect _me_ to...?"

Another exasperated sigh. "Let's just hope that pigeon has at least the amount of sense God gave the geese." And to Schultz, "Schultz! Take out that pigeon and set him free. He'll find his way home to Stalag 13, with or without your help." A shiver. "He'll have to!"

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant." With an unhappy face, Schultz started to do a backwards crawl out of the snow hut. His teeth immediately started chattering. "Brrr... I'm not even outside yet and my feet are already frozen again. That poor pigeon..."

Schwanzenstolz handed it to him as he was nearly outside. Schultz took it, and petted its pretty silvergrey head. "Now you go and fly home to Colonel Hogan, right? You be a good pigeon, and no detours or love escapades until you are..."

"Schultz!"

Schultz sighed. "Jawohl, Herr Kommandant." With his hands full of pigeon, he began to try and wriggle the last bit out of the snow hut, until...

"Um... Herr Kommandant?"

"What!"

"Herr Kommandant... I think I'm... stuck!"

.

* * *

_Author's note: Remember - **only 3 days left** to send in your nominations for the PBA! Deadline is this Friday, March 1st at 23.59.59 Hawaii time!_

_And my dear co-HH fanfic fans: If we want to have a decent PBA this year, we *need* some more nominations from you guys! If you haven't sent them in yet, please do so A.S.A.P.! _

_And remember - you don't have to have read all the stories in order to nominate your favourites. Just pick your favourites from among the ones you happen to have read - that's good enough in this round! _


	12. Unfinished business

"Push!" the Kommandant ordered, as both he and Schwanzenstolz crowded in the narrow entrance of the snow hut. "Schultz, hold your breath. And maybe... Ouch! Stupid pigeon!"

Whatever else he wanted to say as her jerked upright following the pigeon picking him was lost in a sudden collapse of the snow roof above them.

"Ruckoo! Ruckoo!" The pigeon was the first to get out of the snowy mess.

"Stop him!" the Kommandant yelled.

"Um... why, Kommandant?" Schultz asked as he shook the snow out of his helmet. "We wanted the pigeon to go free - to go home to Stalag 13, didn't we?"

"But nobody escapes from... Oh. Yes. Quite." The Kommandant shook the snow out of his hair. "But what are we going to do now? You're too fat for the front - I've always said so!"

Schultz's face fell. "I couldn't agree more, Kommandant. But maybe..."

"Yes?"

"Maybe we could follow the pigeon home?"

Klink gasped. "You mean desert?"

Schultz fumbled a bit. "Well, not quite. But what good are we doing here? There are no Russians in sight to fight. We'd be of much more use guarding prisoners in Stalag 13, wouldn't we?"

A sudden grin spread over the Kommandant's face. "Schultz, that is an excellent idea. Schwanzenstolz - you're with us now. As a messenger, you must know the route back home, in case we lose sight of that pigeon." He halted. "Pigeon? Schultz, we better get after him quick!"

.

* * *

_Author's note: and then there was still some unfinished business. Remember from last year that we had an international category, and for lack of a reasonable number of voters, we decided to postpone the awarding of the stories till we could find more people who were willing and able to read especially Spanish?_

_Well, unfortunately we haven't been able to locate any such person. But we can't put it off forever, so the PBA committee has decided to go ahead and adjudge the awards anyway. Better late and slightly skewed than never at all..._

_So, with all due attention:_

* * *

The International Category of the PBA 2012

.

Gold:

**WOLF TRAP  
**by Linorea

.

Silver:

**El Secreto**  
by Iurisangel43

.

Bronze:

**Ich bereue keinen Augenblick**  
by Lizzi0307

and

**Set the Fire to the Third Bar**  
by Roxy-found-a-Pen

.

* * *

_Our congratulations/félicitations/enhora buenas/Glückwünsche to the four of you, and again our apologies for the awfully long wait... We'll try and contact the authors this week, so they, too, can finally receive the beautiful awards that Canadian Hogan's Fan has graciously promised to make for them even this late._

* * *

_Yes, and now it's waiting for this year's nominations..._ ;-)


	13. Gather around!

_Back at Stalag 13..._

_._

"Colonel! Colonel! Everyone, gather around!"

Kinch sat down again, pulled off his headphones and put the radio on speaker.

"What? What's up?" Carter wanted to know.

"The Papa Bear Awards – the nominations are in! Quick, get everyone together!"

"But Captain Gruber is..."

"Who cares about Captain Gruber?" Newkirk scoffed. "Come on, let's go and get everyone!"

Soon, all the men from barracks 2 (and from quite a few other barracks) were gathered around the radio. "Go ahead, Mama Bear," Kinch said. "We're waiting with baited breath."

And London announced:

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

Snapshots

.

**A Faithful Soldier**  
by Limmet

**All for a Good Cause**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**Breach of Security**  
by Binca

**Fate**  
by Jennaya

**If**  
by Belphegor

**The Telephone Hour**  
by Snooky-9093

* * *

And on to the drama stories!


	14. Such drama

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

Short Drama

.

**An Unfortunate Victim of Circumstances**  
by Belphegor

**At What Cost?**  
by Snooky-9093

**Carter's Elephant / L'éléphant de Carter**  
by Belphegor

**Seeing the Eiffel Tower**  
by dust on the wind

**The Day the Bell Tolled**  
by Jennaya

**The Sound of the Rockets**  
by whirlyite

**To Freedom and the Bloody Cruel World**  
by All-things

**Unspoken**  
by Goldleaf83

**We Have Seen Better Days**  
by Sierra Sutherwinds

**White Knight**  
by Goldleaf83

.

* * *

Long Drama

.

**Contemplations**  
by Limmet

**Darkness**  
by 80sarcades

**Fishing**  
by Goldleaf83

**Lost in the Darkness**  
by ColHogan

**Sharp Edges**  
by Silent Number

**Something to Remember Me by**  
by dust on the wind

**Tears Such as Angels Weep**  
by whirlyite

**When Zucchini Attacks**  
by Jennaya

* * *

And on to the comedies!


	15. Have a Laugh with Comedy!

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

Short Comedies

.

**Agony of the Leaves**  
by Belphegor

**Everyone's a Critic**  
by Snooky-9093

**It's Almost Over**  
by 80sarcades

**Mademoiselle Marlene**  
by Belphegor

**Raining and Pouring**  
by FloatingPizza

**Schüttelfrost**  
by FloatingPizza

**Silent Explosions**  
by 80sarcades

**Sister Carter and Sister Newkirk**  
by Canadian Hogan's Fan

**The Lies We Spew**  
by Book'em Again

**The Mystery of the Exploding Bridges**  
by Belphegor

**Tik Tok?**  
by Scotty McSpockirk

**Volatile**  
by dust on the wind

**What's in a Rank?**  
by Jennaya

.

* * *

Long Comedies

.

**Descended from Robin Hood**  
by whirlyite

**Hogan Plays Chaperone and Other Lost Episodes**  
by Hildegaarde

**Into the Woods**  
by Belphegor

**Murphy's Law**  
by konarciq

**One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure**  
by dust on the wind

**The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument**  
by dust on the wind

**The Crittendon Chronicles**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

* * *

And on to the general stories!


	16. General - What General?

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

Short General Stories

.

**Agony of the Leaves**  
by Belphegor

**Airborne**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**Alone**  
by random-antics-echelon

**An Unfortunate Victim of Circumstances**  
by Belphegor

**At What Cost?**  
by Snooky-9093

**In the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

**It's Almost Over**  
by 80sarcades

**Kinderspiel**  
by Crystal Rose of Pollux

**Labour of Love: An Uphill Struggle**  
by newkathy97

**Mademoiselle Marlene**  
by Belphegor

**Perhaps Not the Best Idea**  
by whirlyite

**Remembering**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**Seeing the Eiffel Tower**  
by dust on the wind

**Senior Prisoner of War Wilhelm Klink**  
by Lord Rebecca-sama

.

* * *

Long General Stories

.

**A POW's Best Friend**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**A Simple Mission**  
by Fear-of-the-Cold

**Being for the Benefit of Major Hochstetter**  
by Canadian Hogan's Fan

**Into the Woods**  
by Belphegor

**Kindred Spirits**  
by ColHogan

**SUSFU**  
by Snooky-9093

**The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument**  
by dust on the wind

**The Crittendon Chronicles**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**The Stars Look Down**  
by blinkblink

**Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction**  
by Snooky-9093

* * *

And on to the stories based on a challenge or on an episode!


	17. Challenging Episodes

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

Stories Based on a Challenge

.

**A Promise Honored**  
by whirlyite

**Being for the Benefit of Major Hochstetter**  
by Canadian Hogan's Fan

**Bottom up!**  
by konarciq

**Kinderspiel**  
by Crystal Rose of Pollux

**Of the Benefits of Being Overlooked**  
by Belphegor

**Old Haunts and Old Memories**  
by dust on the wind

**Out of the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

**Party Poopers**  
by Me

**Raining and Pouring**  
by FloatingPizza

**The Better Part of Valor**  
by Sierra Sutherwinds

**Volatile**  
by dust on the wind

**We Killed Hitler**  
by 96 Hubbles

.

* * *

Stories Based on an Episode

.

**All for a Good Cause**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**If**  
by Belphegor

**In the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

**Out of the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

**Perhaps Not the Best Idea**  
by whirlyite

**The General's Story**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**The Papa Bear Surrender Speech**  
by Pen-or-Sword

**Unheeded Advice**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

* * *

And on to the unique stories, the poetry department, the crossovers and...  
the best defense in Fanfic Court II!


	18. Unique Poetry and Defensive Crossovers

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

The Most Unique Stories

.

**A Faithful Soldier**  
by Limmet

**A POW's Best Friend**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**Bottom up!**  
by konarciq

**Labour of Love: An Uphill Struggle**  
by newkathy97

**Silent Explosions**  
by 80sarcades

**Sister Carter and Sister Newkirk**  
by Canadian Hogan's Fan

**The Care and Keeping of Schultz**  
by animal2134

.

* * *

Poems, Filks and Songfics

.

**Carter's Grown-up Christmas List**  
by thetalker007

**The Barber of Stalag 13**  
by konarciq

**The Reasoning of a Self-Proclaimed Neutral**  
by newkathy97

**There's an Owl in the Chimney**  
by konarciq

**We Who Write Salute You**  
by mmwaveprincess

.

* * *

Crossovers

.

**A Cage Full of Heroes**  
by San Antonio Rose

**Chin Ho's Navy**  
by jodm

**It's All Who You Know**  
by Susan M. M.

**Mistaken Identity**  
by jodm

**Smiley's Heroes**  
by Haiza Tyri

**Those in Darkness**  
by Susan M. M.

.

* * *

The Best Defense in Fanfic Court II

.

**80sarcades**

**Canadian Hogan's Fan**

**dust on the wind**

**Sophia Villo**

_(see chapter 8 of this story for the concerning chapters!)_

* * *

And on to the character portrayals!


	19. To Be Canon or Not to Be Canon

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

The Best Portrayal of Canon Characters

.

**Carter** in _Sharp Edges_ (by Silent Number)

**Carter** in _The Stars Look Down_ (by blinkblink)

**Carter** in _We Killed Hitler_ (by 96 Hubbles)

**Hochstetter** in _The Mystery of the Exploding Bridges_ (by Belphegor)

**Hogan** in _Fishing_ (by Goldleaf83)

**Klink** in _A POW's Best Friend_ (by Sgt. Moffitt)

**Klink** in _Being Myself_ (by Pen-or-Sword)

**LeBeau** in _Mademoiselle Marlene_ (by Belphegor)

**LeBeau** in _The Stars Look Down_ (by blinkblink)

**Newkirk** in _Descended from Robin Hood_ (by whirlyite)

**Newkirk** in _Wolf Trap_ (by Linorea)

**Schultz** in _Target_ (by Captain Smirk)

* * *

And on to the canon extras!


	20. The Indispensable Extras

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

The Best Portrayal of Canon Extras

.

**Barnes** in _In the Cooler_ (by Goldleaf83)

**Crittendon** in _The Crittendon Chronicles_ (by Sgt. Moffitt)

**Hilda** in _Pretty Faces_ (by ninjacatchester)

**Frau Linkmeyer** in _A Long Journey Home_ (by Jennaya)

**Marya** in _One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure_ (by dust on the wind)

**Olsen** in _A General Fiasco_ (by Snooky-9093)

**Olsen** in _When Zucchini Attacks_ (by Jennaya)

**General von Scheider** in _The General's Story_ (by Sgt. Moffitt)

**Tiger** in _Daggers through the Heart_ (by Jennaya)

* * *

And on to the original characters!


	21. The Originals

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

The Best Portrayal of Original Characters

.

**Anne Marie Barallier / Claire Chauvel** in _Something to Remember Me by_ (by dust on the wind)

**Daphne** in _Silent Explosions_ (by 80sarcades)

**Lt. Doyle** in _The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument_ (by dust on the wind)

**Godfrey** in _Labour of Love: An Uphill Struggle_ (by newkathy97)

**Lt. Keilwasser** in _Raining and Pouring / Schüttelfrost_ (by FloatingPizza)

**Josephine Newkirk** in _Tears Such as Angels Weep_ (by whirlyite)

**Udo Schneider** in _One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure_ (by dust on the wind)

**Wolfgang** in _A POW's Best Friend _(by Sgt. Moffitt)

* * *

And on to the teasers!


	22. Don't Tease Me!

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

The Most Tickling Teasers

.

**A touching romance between a simple man and the plastic explosive that loved him.  
**_Story: Silent Explosions  
Author: 80sarcades_

_._

**Ever hear the one about the two nuns who walk into a bar?  
**_Story: Sister Carter and Sister Newkirk  
Author: Canadian Hogan's Fan_

_._

**I started to scream until a knife blade dug into my throat.  
"Are you deaf?" he hissed. "I said shut up!"  
**_Story: The Long Cold Night  
Author: Canadian Hogan's Fan_

_._

**Just because it's a violin case doesn't mean the only thing in it is a violin...  
**_Story: The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument  
Author: dust on the wind_

_._

**Murphy's law was not formulated until several years after ww2.  
However, as with all laws of nature, that doesn't mean it wasn't in effect before that.  
As Hogan is bound to find out...  
**_Story: Murphy's Law  
Author: konarciq_

_._

**Newkirk shot her, LeBeau is angry and possibly upset, Carter is kinda sad, Kinch is dumbfounded,  
and Hogan demands to know who "she" is.  
**_Story: An Unfortunate Victim of Circumstances  
Author: Belphegor_

_._

**On a cold winter's day, fate throws the heroes a curveball.  
**_Story: Fate  
Author: Jennaya_

_._

**There was more than one underground at work in Germany...  
**_Story: A POW's Best Friend  
Author: Sgt. Moffitt_

_._

**Why was the mess kitchen blown up?  
Well, that depends - who's asking?  
**_Story: Volatile  
Author: dust on the wind_

* * *

And on to the quotes!


	23. Give Me a Quote

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

The Quotes

And you may vote for as many as you want!

Note: the numbers listed are purely to make it easier for you. They have no real value at all.

If you want to know where the quotes come from, you'll have to visit the PBA website – up soon!

.

* * *

1

"And if an elephant turns up, Kinch will alert us before it comes,  
the colonel will come up with a plan to get rid of it, Newkirk will pick its pockets and I'll cook it in a ragoût.  
I wonder which wine goes with elephant meat…"

* * *

2

Experience had told Hogan  
that Newkirk and LeBeau in a mood were an international incident waiting to happen.

* * *

3

For once Marya had been taken by surprise;  
among the many dangers she'd faced in her varied career, footwear had never figured before.

* * *

4

"Gee, I'm the first man in the history of the army to be promoted and demoted within an hour."

* * *

5

"Helping your friend is one thing. The worst that can happen is that Hochstetter will have me shot.  
But working with the Russian woman could get me into real trouble."

* * *

6

"Here Peter," Kinch said as he came forward with a plate of fries.  
"Have some. The one and only time LeBeau will make something that is both French, English, and pronounceable."

* * *

7

Hopefully, Klink wouldn't conduct one of his stupid inventories.  
That was one of his favorite pastimes.  
That and groveling.

* * *

8

"I shudder to think what would happen if you ever decided to escape before one of Klink's dinners with the brass."  
"It's simple. If he caught me before I left, he'd beg me to take him with me."

* * *

9

"I still don't understand why the Gestapo would do such a thing. I've always been completely loyal. Why should they try to kill me?"  
"Maybe they just need the practice."

* * *

10

"I've heard of field promotions, but I didn't realize the enemy could promote you.  
If you want to make me a Lieutenant, does that mean I get a private room too?"

* * *

11

"Look, Doyle, I know it's a tough assignment. I'm not exactly looking forward to it, either, but we need that violin case."  
"I understand, sir. But to be forced to listen to that – that monocled orang-utan scraping away at a Kreuz violin...  
Surely there must be another way."

* * *

12

McBride had found himself liking Kinchloe almost instantaneously. There was a man who understood and appreciated the value of silence  
– which, for a man whose main job was communication, was rather ironic.

* * *

13

"Never mind the wine and the women, Hogan, I can have those any time."

* * *

14

"Pahh! The car isn't moving! You have the upper body strength of an inebriated toad!  
How did you even get into the Wehrmacht in the first place?"

* * *

15

"Rapid Aging Syndrome? What on earth is that?"  
"I read about it in last month's '_Zeitschrift der Medizin Wikipädie_'."  
"A most unreliable reference! You might as well quote from '_Medizin für Dummköpfe_'."

* * *

16

"Say, what kind of warranty do you get with a violin?  
One year or five hundred cadenzas, whichever comes first?"

* * *

17

"The Gestapo aren't known for being nice, but gees, you don't have to be so insulting.  
I'm not an officer, I'm an NCO. I work for a living!"

* * *

18

They joined the Eighth Air Force as part of the mysterious 504th Bomb Group,  
whose assignment in the European theater was so secret that its unofficial motto was,  
"We Were Never Here".

* * *

19

"Um – well, we drink tea when it's cold, to warm ourselves up, and when it's hot, to cool down.  
We drink tea when we're sad, when we're happy, when we're sick, or just because we feel like it.  
The first thing my mum always does when I come home or just when somebody comes in is put the kettle on."

* * *

20

"Unfortunately, Colonel Hogan is only a human. He has many admirable qualities, but...  
I'm afraid he'll never be able to think like a dog."

* * *

21

"Well, maybe they're after the whisky factory."  
"Right. The illustrious Luftwaffe are planning to bring the entire Allied war effort to a complete standstill  
by cutting off the supply of Johnnie Walker Black Label...  
Actually, Andrew, you might be on to something there."

* * *

22

"What could be so volatile in the Hammelburg Post that they would go to such lengths? The lonely hearts column, perhaps?"  
"No, that's in the weekend edition. Not that I read it, of course."

* * *

23

"Wish we could hitch a ride..."  
"Smashing idea. Let's just stick out our thumbs, shall we, and maybe we can hop on a magic carpet or something."  
"I don't know about a magic carpet, but there's a truck coming up the road."

* * *

24

Wolfgang watched as Hogan walked away with a purposeful stride, whistling.  
He turned his head and looked at his comrades with a smile.  
"We've got our alpha."

* * *

25

"Your orchestra consisted of one accordion player?"  
"My dear man, why would we need two of them?  
Actually, it's probably a blessing in disguise. I had a feeling some of the performers had rewritten the words,  
and I wasn't at all sure which version of '_I've Got A Little List_' we were going to hear on the night.  
I suspect it would have included a recommendation for the Kommandant to insert his monocle somewhere it was not designed to go."

* * *

26

"You said 'saboteurz'. It should be 'saboteur', like the singular.  
If you really want to insult us in French, at least use the right pronunciation."

* * *

27

"You want to work out of a *POW* camp?"  
"It'll be a terrific alibi, sir."  
"I can just imagine."

.

* * *

_And now – finally – on to the most prestigious category of all: the best story of 2012..._  
_A category where fierce competition reigned among the nominated stories in order to qualify._  
_Six stories finally made it..._

_Go check them out!_


	24. The Big Shots

**THE NOMINATED WORKS**

* * *

And the best for last: the stories that were nominated AND qualified  
to compete for the ultimate honour of

.

**BEST STORY OF 2012!**

* * *

.

**A POW's Best Friend**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

**Descended from Robin Hood**  
by whirlyite

.

**One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure**  
by dust on the wind

.

**The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument**  
by dust on the wind

.

**The Crittendon Chronicles**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

**The Reasoning of a Self-Proclaimed Neutral**  
by newkathy97

.

* * *

No less than five more stories were nominated for best story of 2012, but unfortunately they did not meet the threshold of the minimal number of secondary nominations by other nominators. Their authors however will be informed – because whether your story in the end qualified or not, it's still an honour to be _nominated_ for best story of 2012, isn't it?  
At least all these five stories were nominated in one way or another elsewhere, too, so their fans can still vote for them!

Read on to learn about this year's voting - with 3 votes in each category!

.

* * *

But first a solid round of applause for mmwaveprincess,  
who did a great job on the double checking and caught several glitches that had escaped my notice!

**Thank you for a terrific job, mmwaveprincess!**


	25. Election Time!

And then it's time for voting!

.

Remember, this year you have **3 votes** in every category!  
Feel free to use only 1 or 2 if you think that represents your opinion better,  
but you are entitled to 3 votes.

* * *

_How does it work to have 3 votes in each category?  
An example with non-existent stories:_

_._

_Nominated:_

_Hogan's Dog_

_Carter's Rabbit_

_Klink's Mouse_

_Schultz's Cow_

_Newkirk's Monkey_

_Kinch's Gopher_

_LeBeau's Cat_

_._

_Voter A just loves all these stories, but having to choose three, he gives 1 vote to __Carter's Rabbit__, 1 vote to __Kinch's Gopher__, and 1 vote to __Klink's Mouse__._

_Voter B is very particular that __Hogan's Dog__ is the best story. So he decides to give __Hogan's Dog__ his vote, and doesn't use his other 2 votes._

_Voter C thinks __Newkirk's Monkey__ and __Schultz's Cow__ are by far the best - the rest are definitely of less quality. So he gives 1 vote to __Newkirk's Monkey__, and 1 vote to __Schultz's Cow__, and doesn't use his last vote._

* * *

.

And in the quote category, you may vote for as many as you want – no limits!  
In case that makes things complicated when listing them:  
as you might have noticed, the quotes have been given a number.  
That should make it easier to list your favourites.

.

Also available on the PBA website are direct links to all the nominated works.  
That should save you some searching on ffnet.

For the PBA website:  
**www dot konarciq dot net / fanfiction/ PapaBearAwards/ index. html**  
(take out the spaces and translate to www speak where necessary)

The updated website is likely to go up tomorrow!

.

And the good news:  
in this round you are allowed to vote for your own work -  
provided you _really_ think it is the best...!

.

Your votes can be sent by email to **papabearawards at yahoo dot com**  
or to Papa Bear Awards by ffnet PM.  
Make sure you include your name and ffnet ID (if you have one)!  
And mind ffnet's pigeons!

.

**Closing date: Friday, April 5th!**  
.

The voting is open for everyone who enjoys Hogan's Heroes fanfiction.

.

Also tomorrow (or at least very soon) will the **polls** in the yahoogroup "hogansheroes" be available.  
Anyone with a yahoo ID can join that group and use the easy polls to vote.  
If you need the link, drop me a line and I'll send it to you.

.

And if you feel you're running out of new reading material, there still is the Golden Oldies Category, remember?  
The voting there is going quite nicely for the more recent stories, but especially the older ones could use some more grades.

Try them – after all, they were considered the very best by your fellow HH fanfic fans from the past years!  
See chapter 4 of this story for details.

.

If instead you are pressed for time and you don't know how you can possibly read everything in all the categories,  
do remember that there is no obligation whatsoever to vote in all the categories.  
You're free to limit yourself to one or a few categories that interest you, and ignore the rest.

.

Winners in all categories will be announced after the votes are tabulated.  
A Gold, Silver and Bronze award will be awarded for each category – if applicable.

.

So read, enjoy and **vote**!

.

Remember:

**Closing date is Friday, April 5th, 2013**


	26. A Template for Dummies

An easy template for voting. If you like, you can simply copy this into an email or a Word document, complete it and send it to papabearawards at yahoo dot com!

* * *

**Name:**

**ffnet pen name: **

**Email address:**

**.**

**MY VOTES FOR THE PAPA BEAR AWARDS:**

**Best story of 2012:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best snapshot:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best short drama:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best long drama:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best short comedy:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best long comedy:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best short general story:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best long general story:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best story based on a challenge:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best story based on a TV episode:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Most unique story:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best poem, filk or songfic:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best crossover story:**

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

Title:  
Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon character:**

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best portrayal of a canon extra:**

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best portrayal of an original character:**

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

Character:  
Story:  
Author:

**Best teaser:**

Teaser:  
Story:

Teaser:  
Story:

Teaser:  
Story:

**Best quote:**

_You may vote for as many as you want – so feel free to add more if necessary! If you want to do it the easy way, you can simply vote with the numbers listed with the quotes a few chapters back, and on the PBA website. _:-)

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

**Best defense in Fanfic Court II:**

Author:

Author:

Author:

**Have you read any more of the Golden Oldies stories?**

If so:

Title:

Mark:

(add more Golden Oldies if needed)

**Closing date for sending in your votes: **

_**April 5th, 2013**_


	27. Of Pigeons, Snow Shoes and Strawberries

"Kommandant," Schultz panted as he struggled to put his snow shoes on. "Perhaps we should have kept the pigeon on a leash. It's going way too fast for us to keep up with it."

Schwanzenstolz snorted, and Klink let out a howl of frustration when the strap of his own snow shoe slipped out of his half frozen hand. "Schultz! That pigeon needs to get to Stalag 13 pronto prontissimo! We can't keep it on a leash! But you're right in one thing - we mustn't lose sight of it. Come on, let's go."

"But Herr Kommandant, your snow shoes aren't tied yet!"

"Never mind about those snow shoes." Klink thrusted the cumbersome footgear aside. "I'm not half as heavy as you are - the snow will hold up my weight." He climbed out of the ruins of the snow hut, tucked his riding crop under his arm, and with a rallye cry he dashed forward in the direction the pigeon had flown off to. "For Hogan, Stalag 13 and the Papa Bear Awards!"

And the next moment he sank into the snow up to his waist...

"Schuuuultz!" he bellowed, futilely waving his arms and his riding crop around. "Get me out of here!"

Schultz and Schwanzenstolz were at his side in a moment, and with combined strength, they pulled their commanding officer out of his predicament.

"Now, Kommandant," Schwanzenstolz began. "If you're going to walk on..."

But Klink ignored him. "Come on, Schultz - let's go home!" One step and... "Schuuuultz!"

Again, Schultz and Schwanzenstolz came to his rescue.

"Careful, Herr Kommandant," Schultz panted once they got him on top of the snow again. "The Russian snow is very treacherous."

"But it's not going to best me!" Klink boasted, and he took yet another step westwards, only to...

It gets repetitive, but Schultz and Schwanzenstolz - both prudently wearing their snow shoes - had to come to the Kommandant's rescue at his every step. And this happened more than fifty times before the Kommandant finally gave up - we certainly have to give him credit for his persistence.

"Kommandant," Schwanzenstolz said at last. "Let me go back to the snow hut and get you your snow shoes. Surely you've come to realize by now that we're never going to make it out of Russia without them."

Klink nodded in defeat as he hung onto Schultz. He didn't dare to take another step, for justified fear that he'd sink waist deep into the snow again immediately.

Schwanzenstolz quickly made for the snow hut again (they had only progressed some fifty meters, thanks to the Kommandant's continuous snow drownings), and in these wide white surroundings of the Russian tundra, a shivering Klink suddenly became confident with his Sergeant.

"Schultz... how do you think things are going in Stalag 13?"

"I'm sure they are going fine, Herr Kommandant. Although..." He hesitated, but continued with pride, "Probably not as good as they did when we were there to keep the prisoners in line."

Klink scowled. "I'm sure that toad of a Gruber has already had dozens of prisoners escape. From *my* escape proof camp, of all things! How dare he!"

"Yes, Kommandant - how dare he!" Schultz wisely agreed.

"Schultz... do you think there is a chance I will get my old command back? And you your post as Sergeant of the Guard?"

Schultz's face turned thoughtful. "I do not know, Herr Kommandant. That is up to General Burkhalter. But if I know Colonel Hogan, I'm sure he'd be happy to help us get back. For I don't think he likes Captain Gruber very much."

Klink's face beamed a little. "Do you think he likes me more than Captain Gruber?"

Schultz closed his eyes. "I know nothing, Herr Kommandant. Let us just say - the strawberries are always bigger on the other side of the fence. I know he was always saying how much he hated you for being his jailor and a German. But now that he's had to deal with Captain Gruber for a while, maybe he has come to realize you weren't so bad after all."

Klink nodded. "War does strange things to people, Schultz. Who would have thought that I would ever long for that dreary old Stalag of mine? Or to see that meddlesome American colonel again who has made my life a misery so many times?"

* * *

_Author's Note: _

_Update: the polls are up and running, so anyone with a yahoo ID can join the group and go and vote there:_

**tv dot groups dot yahoo dot com / group / hogansheroes /**

_The pigeons are eager to eat this kind of address, too, so you'll need to translate it to www speak yourself and take out all the spaces._

_The updates for the PBA website are mostly ready for uploading as well, so I expect those will be up later today._

_And let me just say a blanket 'you're welcome' to all the thank you notes in the reviews :-) I appreciate *all* your enthusiastic reactions, but I have to confess that especially reactions like Kathy's are the icing on the cake after all the hard work that went (and still goes) into this! _

_And in case you want to know: Klink's experience walking on the Russian snow is drawn upon my own experience earlier this week, when my students and I were measuring the school playground! :-D_

* * *

_Later update: it's 5 p.m. here now, and as far as I can tell, *everything* is up now that should be up: the mission briefing, the polls and the website. And Denise has her list of who to send congratulatory notes to (bless her! I'm getting fed up with this laptop!), so she can get started, too.  
_

_If you come across any irregularities in the polls or the website, let me know asap by sending a PM to *konarciq*, okay? I did double check everything of course, but after three straight intensive days at the computer, my brain isn't quite as sprite anymore... Good thing it's midterm break this week :-)_


	28. Ist es noch weit?

The wind howled over the infinite white plain, hurtling the thin snowflakes hither and thither. A dazzling white from one horizon to another, and in the middle of this too white landscape, three small dots, struggling against the wind.

"Leutnant Schwanzenstolz," the biggest of the dots panted. "Ist es noch weit?"

The man in front of him turned around, happy to have his face out of the snow for a moment. "Nein, Sergeant, es ist nicht weit mehr."

The man up front sighed, and the three men struggled on again in silence.

"Leutnant Schwanzenstolz," the biggest man panted after a while again. "Ist es noch weit?"

"Nein, Sergeant, es ist nicht weit mehr."

He sighed, and the man in front of him grunted. And on they struggled, through the too white landscape. It may be late March by now, but the sixty hour snowstorm from last weekend was nothing one tends to associate with a beginning spring. They'd had to huddle it out in a deserted farmer's hut - freezing, with teeth chattering, and very little to eat. But at least they were out of the storm and out of the snow for a while.

Now they were on their way again. Hopefully still in the right direction, but with the sun glaring in the hardblue sky, at least they could orientate themselves reasonably well. Westwards they wanted - back home, back to Germany!

"Leutnant Schwanzenstolz?" the fat sergeant interrupted his train of thought again. "Ist es noch weit?"

He sighed. "Nein, nicht weit mehr, Sergeant." And the Kommandant in front of him rolled his eyes. In truth, they had no idea. They could be anywhere between Belorussia, Poland, the Ukraine - or maybe already in Germany? No... these kind of weather conditions were extremely rare in their beloved Germany - even in midwinter. Surely sixty hour blizzards did not occur in Germany this late in the year?

"Leutnant Schwanzenstolz?" the sergeant began again. "Ist es noch weit?"

Suddenly, the Kommandant up front snapped. "Ja! Noch _sehr_ weit!"

With that, he stomped on, leaving the lieutenant to hide his chuckle, and the sergeant with a sad puppy-dog look on his face...

* * *

.

_Okay, I know I'm going to get comments about the language, so first: the whole conversation pretty much boils down to: "Is it still much further?" "No, it's not much further." Ending in, "Yes, it's still very much further!" This discussion is a classic from the Smurfs cartoons, and I'm sorry, but it just doesn't sound right in English :-p Oh well, at least you'll have learned a few useful phrases in German while reading this snippet!_

_Anyway, just a reminder: the deadline for your votes for our PBA is **this upcoming Friday** - the 5th of April. So don't forget to send in your votes, alternatively to go to the yahoo polls and vote there! We know from earlier years that every new set of votes can change the entire outcome in some categories, so don't rely on others to decide for you - your votes can really make a difference!  
_

_And a general excuse: work has been murder these past weeks, so I don't think I've actually sent out a single confirmation of received votes... I'm sorry! I'll see if I'll get around to it this week, so that at least you know for sure that they arrived safe and sound. (No, not Easter holiday. For some reason we don't have Easter holiday here - not even Easter Monday off! Instead we have a week off two weeks from now. Which suited me fine for other reasons :-)_


	29. Bayern or Düsseldorf?

"Leutnant Schwanzenstolz," Schultz began again. "Ist es noch weit?"

Schwanzenstolz sighed, but in front of him, Kommandant Klink suddenly pointed ahead. "Look! A road sign!"

"Good!" Schwanzenstolz said. "I have a feeling we've been going around in circles lately."

They quickly made their way to the road sign up ahead, and Klink's face lit up in a bright grin. "Düsseldorf! That's the direction we need to go. We turn right here!"

"What? It can't be!" Schwanzenstolz argued. "You said it's Stalag _13_, right? That means it must be in Bayern, for 13 is the military designation for Bayern. So we have to take the left road!"

"Nonsense." Klink waved his protests away. "Who's been Kommandant there for years? And I wouldn't know where my own camp was? Hah! I'll have you know that my Stalag 13 is located near Düsseldorf!"

"But that goes against all military regulations!"

"I don't care about military regulations. Schultz!"

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant?"

"Tell him where Stalag 13 is. _Our_ Stalag 13."

Schultz looked uncomfortable. "I know nothing, Herr Kommandant - nothing!"

"Schultz! You Dummkopf!" Klink stamped his foot in the snow. "Don't you even know where your own home is?"

"Yes, Herr Kommandant. In Heidelberg. But we're not going to Heidelberg, are we?"

"It's in _Hamelburg_, Schultz. Hamelburg, not Heidelberg! And that's where we are going."

"But Hammelburg is located near Schweinfurt!" Schwanzenstolz protested. "I've been there myself once or twice. We really need to go towards Bayern!"

"That's Hammelburg with _two_ M's - ours has only one! You can see for yourself on the sign at the railway station when we get there!"

"But Hammelburg with two M's_ is_ the one we need to go to. That's where the prison camp Stalag 13 is located!"

Klink was ready to explode, but Schultz cautiously intervened. "Herr Kommandant, I would not want to offend either of you. After all, you are both officers, and officers can do very unpleasant things to us non-commissioned soldiers. But why don't you and Lieutenant Schwanzenstolz compromise?"

Klink glared at him. "There is no compromise. It's near Düsseldorf. We need to turn right."

Schwanzenstolz glared at him from the other side. "It's in Bayern. We need to turn left."

Schultz held up his hands. "Gentlemen," he said. "If you cannot come to a peaceful decision, perhaps we should simply go straight ahead?"

The two officers grunted. And looked at the sign. And at each other. And at Schultz.

"Alright then," the Kommandant conceded. "But only until we discover we're going wrong!"

"My idea," Schwanzenstolz agreed.

And so they went straight ahead, taking the road to... Paris...


	30. Old Friends

The road was long. Long and muddy. The now quickly melting snow left small rivers running along the wayside, and any passing vehicle threw up violent splashes of dirty mud. For with a war on, who bothered about clearing the roads?

"Herr Kommandant," Schultz began, but Klink cut him off.

"I have no idea how much further it is, Schultz. I would if we had taken the turn-off to Düsseldorf, but now...!" He glared at Schwanzenstolz, who merely shrugged.

But Schultz shook his head. "That was not what I wanted to ask, Herr Kommandant. But look, there is a little Hofbrau down the road. After the trip we've had - couldn't we go there for some nice Sauerbraten and Sauerkraut and Bratwurst and potato pancakes..." Schultz practically drooled at the thought, and even the Kommandant's eyes misted over.

"Or a good glass of beer," Schwanzenstolz added.

"Apfelstrudel," Schultz murmured.

"Let's go in." Klink swiftly led the way down the side street, and but a minute later they entered the establishment. Only to run into...

"Hogan!" Klink immediately walked up to his former prisoner. "What are you doing here, so far from camp?"

"Kommandant! And Schultz! Well, that's a nasty surprise! I guess you're going to capture me right away and take me back to that awful Captain Gruber, eh?"

"Of course!" Klink beamed at the thought. "Why - without me to keep you in line, the prisoners would fly out of there like pigeons! Tell me, Hogan - how many escapes have there been from Stalag 13 since Captain Gruber took over?"

"Eighty-three, sir," Hogan admitted. "And most of them successful, too. Captain Gruber really can't live up to your standards, can he."

"Of course he can't. No one but me is capable of maintaining a perfect no-escape record. Ha!" He sat down at the table with Hogan, and made an inviting gesture to his two companions. "I'll just go back there and tell him that I'm taking over again. I'm a colonel, he's only a captain. I can do that!"

He ordered a glass of wine and a Schnitzel with an egg on top from the waitress, and then continued, "But tell me, Hogan - what are you doing on the road to Paris?"

"Well, I have girl-friend there, you see, and after I escaped..."

Schultz snickered. "Die Liebe..."

"... I thought I'd hide out at her place. I met her when we needed to get a copy of that famous painting, remember?"

Schultz nodded. "Oh ja. She was verrrry pretty." He tilted his head. "Wasn't she the one who was my niece?"

"Your niece?" Klink reacted. "I didn't know you had relations in..."

"Never mind," Hogan cut in. "Anyway, when I was there, it turned out they had sent the latest copy of _The Stalag 13 Gazette_ to Paris for further distribution. And well, I couldn't very well let the guys go without the results of the Papa Bear Awards, so I decided to head back to Stalag 13 to deliver the papers."

"That is very kind of you," Schwanzenstolz observed. "Kind, but not very practical. Why would you want to go back to your prison camp when you've already made it as far as Paris?"

Hogan shrugged. "Well, I have a duty towards my men. I felt I deserted them when I escaped, so..."

Klink nodded. "Colonel Hogan is very conscientious about his duty towards his men. In fact, he could be a German officer!"

Hogan grimaced, and leaned over to Schultz who pulled his sleeve to get his attention.

"Colonel Hogan, did you say you have the results of the Papa Bear Awards?" the big guard whispered.

A quick nod. "You want to see them?"

"Of course!" Schultz jubilated. "Kommandant, Leutnant Schwanzenstolz... Colonel Hogan has the results of the Papa Bear Awards!"

Immediately, all three of them were upon Hogan as he pulled out a newspaper from his inside pocket. "Here you are, gentlemen. The winners of this year's Papa Bear Awards."

"Let me see!" Schultz pleaded as the Kommandant confiscated the paper and unfolded it to reveal the front page.

.

* * *

.

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**_Chosen as the Best Story of 2012_**:

.

**A POW'S BEST FRIEND**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument**  
by dust on the wind

.

Bronze:

**Descended from Robin Hood**  
by whirlyite

**One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure**  
by dust on the wind

**The Crittendon Chronicles**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

_Congratulations to all of you!_

_Even to newkathy97, the author of the only story in this category that did not win an award.  
But her poem _The Reasoning of a Self-Proclaimed Neutral_ – the first poem ever to make it to the voting round in this category! – ended a mere 1 vote short of bronze.  
What do you mean – fierce competition..._

* * *

.

But before we go on to all the winners,  
I'd like to ask for a solid round of applause for *everything* that got nominated this year!  
In most categories the outcome changed with every new set of votes we received,  
which only shows how close the competition was.  
For a while there, we even feared we were going to end up with half a dozen multi way ties,  
(like five stories sharing one silver award)  
but fortunately the last set of votes pretty much sorted out that problem in most categories.

So first a round of applause for everything that got nominated and put up such a good fight!  
They deserve the praise no less than the winners!

And of course a round of applause for my double checker Sgt. Moffitt –  
believe it, her work was necessary this year!  
(I've never been caught on so many glitches before – makes me wonder where my brain was yesterday...)

* * *

_And then: Please Turn Over to find the worthy winners in the other categories!_


	31. Page 2

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

.

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Winners of the Short Stories!**

.

* * *

The Best Snapshots

.

Gold:

**ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**The Telephone Hour**  
by Snooky-9093

.

Bronze:

**A Faithful Soldier**  
by Limmet

**If**  
by Belphegor

.

* * *

The Best Short Dramas

.

Gold:

**SEEING THE EIFFEL TOWER**  
by dust on the wind

.

Silver:

**Unspoken**  
by Goldleaf83

.

Bronze:

**Carter's Elephant / L'éléphant de Carter**  
by Belphegor

**White Knight**  
by Goldleaf83

.

* * *

The Best Short Comedies

.

Gold:

**VOLATILE**  
by dust on the wind

.

Silver:

**Sister Carter and Sister Newkirk**  
by Canadian Hogan's Fan

.

Bronze:

**Agony of the Leaves**  
by Belphegor

**Everyone's a Critic**  
by Snooky-9093

.

* * *

The Best Short General Stories

.

Gold:

**LABOUR OF LOVE: AN UPHILL STRUGGLE**  
by newkathy97

.

Silver:

**Agony of the Leaves**  
by Belphegor

**In the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

**Seeing the Eiffel Tower**  
by dust on the wind

.

Bronze:

**Kinderspiel**  
by Crystal Rose of Pollux

.

* * *

_PTO for the winning long stories!_


	32. Page 3

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

.

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Winners of the Long Stories!**

.

* * *

The Best Long Dramas

.

Gold:

**DARKNESS**  
by 80sarcades

.

Silver:

**Fishing  
**by Goldleaf83

**Something to Remember Me by  
**by dust on the wind

**Tears Such as Angels Weep**  
by whirlyite

.

Bronze:

**Lost in the Darkness**  
by ColHogan

.

* * *

The Best Long Comedies

.

Gold:

**THE CASE OF THE LEIDENBACH INSTRUMENT**  
by dust on the wind

**THE CRITTENDON CHRONICLES**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure**  
by dust on the wind

.

Bronze:

**Descended from Robin Hood**  
by whirlyite

.

* * *

The Best Long General Stories

.

Gold:

**A POW'S BEST FRIEND**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument**  
by dust on the wind

**The Crittendon Chronicles**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Bronze:

**Into the Woods**  
by Belphegor

.

* * *

_PTO for stories based on a challenge and on an episode, as well as the most unique stories!_


	33. Page 4

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

.

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Winners among the Stories Based on a Challenge,  
the Stories Based on an Episode  
and the Most Unique Stories**.

.

* * *

The Best Stories Based on a Challenge

.

Gold:

**VOLATILE**  
by dust on the wind

.

Silver:

**We Killed Hitler**  
by 96 Hubbles

.

Bronze:

**A Promise Honored**  
by whirlyite

.

* * *

The Best Stories Based on an Episode

.

Gold:

**UNHEEDED ADVICE**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**The General's Story**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**The Papa Bear Surrender Speech**  
by Pen-or-Sword

.

Bronze:

**In the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

.

* * *

The Most Unique Stories

.

Gold:

**A FAITHFUL SOLDIER**  
by Limmet

.

Silver:

**A POW's Best Friend**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**Bottom up!**  
by konarciq

**Silent Explosions**  
by 80sarcades

.

Bronze:

**Labour of Love: An Uphill Struggle**  
by newkathy97

.

* * *

_PTO for poetry, crossovers and the best defense in Fanfic Court II!_


	34. Page 5

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

**.**

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Winners of the Poetry, the Crossovers and the Best Defense in Fanfic Court II**

.

* * *

The Best Poems and Songfics

.

Gold:

**THE REASONING OF A SELF-PROCLAIMED NEUTRAL**  
by newkathy97

.

Silver:

**There's an Owl in the Chimney**  
by konarciq

.

Bronze:

**The Barber of Stalag 13**  
by konarciq

.

* * *

The Best Crossover Stories

.

Gold:

**THOSE IN DARKNESS**  
by Susan M.M.

.

Silver:

**Mistaken Identity**  
by jodm

.

Bronze:

**Smiley's Heroes**  
by Haiza Tyri

.

* * *

The Best Defense in Fanfic Court II

.

Gold:

**80SARCADES**

.

Silver:

**dust on the wind**

.

Bronze:

**Canadian Hogan's Fan**

**Sophia Villo**

.

* * *

_PTO to find the winning character portrayals!_


	35. Page 6

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

**.**

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Winning Portrayal of Characters**

.

* * *

The Best Portrayal of a Canon Character

.

Gold:

**HOCHSTETTER  
****in The Mystery of the Exploding Bridges**  
by Belphegor

**NEWKIRK  
in Wolf Trap**  
by Linorea

.

Silver:

**LeBeau  
in Mademoiselle Marlene**  
by Belphegor

.

Bronze:

**Carter  
in Sharp Edges**  
by Silent Number

**Carter  
in We Killed Hitler**  
by 96 Hubbles

**Klink  
in A POW's Best Friend**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

**Newkirk  
in Descended from Robin Hood**  
by whirlyite

.

* * *

The Best Portrayal of a Canon Extra

.

Gold:

**CRITTENDON  
in The Crittendon Chronicles**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**Barnes  
in In the Cooler**  
by Goldleaf83

**Marya  
in One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure**  
by dust on the wind

.

Bronze:

**General von Scheider  
in The General's Story**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

* * *

The Best Portrayal of an Original Character

.

Gold:

**WOLFGANG  
in A POW's Best Friend**  
by Sgt. Moffitt

_(Last year won by a cat, and now by a dog? LOL)_

.

Silver:

**Udo Schneider  
in One Night in Hammelburg: A Girls' Own Adventure**  
by dust on the wind

.

Bronze:

**Lt. Doyle  
in The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument**  
by dust on the wind

**Lt. Keilwasser  
in Raining and Pouring / Schüttelfrost**  
by FloatingPizza

.

* * *

_PTO for the winning teasers and quotes!_


	36. Page 7

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

.

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Winning Teasers and Quotes**

.

* * *

The Most Tickling Teasers

.

Gold:

**A touching romance between a simple man and the plastic explosive that loved him.  
**_Silent Explosions  
_by 80sarcades

.

Silver:

**Ever hear the one about the two nuns who walk into a bar?  
**_Sister Carter and Sister Newkirk  
_by Canadian Hogan's Fan

**Why was the mess kitchen blown up?  
Well, that depends - who's asking?  
**_Volatile  
_by dust on the wind

.

Bronze:

**Newkirk shot her, LeBeau is angry and possibly upset, Carter is kinda sad, Kinch is dumbfounded,  
and Hogan demands to know who "she" is.  
**_An Unfortunate Victim of Circumstances  
_ by Belphegor

**Murphy's law was not formulated until several years after ww2.  
However, as with all laws of nature, that doesn't mean it wasn't in effect before that.  
As Hogan is bound to find out...  
**_Murphy's Law  
_by konarciq

.

* * *

The Best Quotes

.

Gold:

**"And if an elephant turns up, Kinch will alert us before it comes,  
the colonel will come up with a plan to get rid of it, Newkirk will pick its pockets and I'll cook it in a ragoût.  
I wonder which wine goes with elephant meat…"**  
Said by: LeBeau  
in _Carter's Elephant_  
by Belphegor

**Experience had told Hogan  
that Newkirk and LeBeau in a mood were an international incident waiting to happen.**  
Said by: narrator  
in _An Unfortunate Victim of Circumstances_  
by Belphegor

**"Unfortunately, Colonel Hogan is only a human. He has many admirable qualities, but...  
I'm afraid he'll never be able to think like a dog."**  
Said by: Wolfgang  
in _A POW's Best Friend_  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Silver:

**"Here Peter," Kinch said as he came forward with a plate of fries.  
"Have some. The one and only time LeBeau will make something that is both French, English, and pronounceable."**  
Said by: Kinch  
in _New Year's Eve_  
by Fear-Of-The-Cold

**"I still don't understand why the Gestapo would do such a thing. I've always been completely loyal. Why should they try to kill me?"  
"Maybe they just need the practice."**  
Said by: Klink and Hogan  
in _The Case of the Leidenbach Instrument_  
by dust on the wind

**McBride had found himself liking Kinchloe almost instantaneously. There was a man who understood and appreciated the value of silence  
– which, for a man whose main job was communication, was rather ironic.**  
Said by: narrator  
in _Into the Woods_  
by Belphegor

**"Rapid Aging Syndrome? What on earth is that?"  
"I read about it in last month's '**_**Zeitschrift der Medizin Wikipädie**_**'."  
"A most unreliable reference! You might as well quote from '**_**Medizin für Dummköpfe**_**'."**  
Said by: Dr. Pfeffer and Dr. Seuss  
in _A POW's Best Friend_  
by Sgt. Moffitt

.

Bronze:

**"The Gestapo aren't known for being nice, but gees, you don't have to be so insulting.  
I'm not an officer, I'm an NCO. I work for a living!"**  
Said by: Carter  
in _What's in a Rank?_  
by Jennaya

.

* * *

_PTO for the Golden Oldies!_


	37. Page 8

**The Stalag 13 Gazette**

**.**

**SPECIAL EDITION**

* * *

_Now announcing the winners of the Papa Bear Awards!_

* * *

**The Best of the Best of 10 Years Hogan's Heroes Fanfiction  
**

.

* * *

11 years of Papa Bear Awards is quite a feat in the history of _Hogan's Heroes_ fanfiction. (Don't thank me – I didn't start it!)  
A feat that merits being remembered.  
For example by having the 10 winning stories from the past compete against each other, to see which of these 10 are our favourites today.

14 people joined in this quest, making sure that each story got rated by at least 6 people.  
And I have to say, I found the outcome rather surprising!

* * *

But here you are: the _Golden Oldies_ that we – anno 2013 – consider to be  
The Best of the Best of _Hogan's Heroes_ Fanfiction!

.

Gold:

**THE STALAG 13 GAZETTE**  
by Snooky-9093 (editor)  
and a whole bunch of other contributors  
_PBA Winner of 2010_  
average grade: 8.87

.

Silver:

**Common Enemies, Uncommon Friends**  
by Hotcorner  
_PBA Winner of 2007_  
average grade: 8.62

.

Bronze:

**Return of the Informer**  
by Sgt. Moffitt  
_PBA Winner of 2012_  
average grade: 8.54

.

* * *

.

Well, that's all for now, folks!  
Congratulations to all the winners, as well as to all the nominees who put up such a good fight.

.

A great thank you, too, to everyone who sent in their nominations and their votes – without you guys, there wouldn't be a PBA!  
And it's great to see so much enthusiasm, year after year after year,  
and every time with new people joining in!

Another great thank you to Sgt. Moffitt, mmwaveprincess, ColHogan, FloatingPizza, All-things,  
and reserve crew Crystal Rose of Pollux,  
who made this fun competition possible this year with their invaluable assistance.

And of course our helpful PBA committee:  
Snooky-9093, jodm, Marie1964 and (sort of, unofficially) Sgt. Moffitt –  
it's been fairly quiet this year, but you were there whenever I needed a soundboard!  
Thank you so much for your input!

.

Then an important request:  
**Can all the winners please report by email to papabearawards at yahoo dotcom**  
in order to get their award(s) sent out?  
They will be designed this year by All-things and FloatingPizza,  
and I for one am certainly looking forward to see what their creative minds come up with!

.

The winning stories (gold, silver and bronze!) will shortly be included in the ffnet community with the PBA winners from the past years.

They will some time in the foreseeable future be listed on the PBA website as well, but I can't promise you when I'll get around to do that ;-)

* * *

.

So now we're back to happily reading. And writing.

Thank you all for your infectious enthusiasm, and I hope to see your new stories, nominations and votes again next time around!

.

Your librarian,

konarciq  
_(who would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who voted for her work!)_

* * *

.

_And what happened to Klink and Schultz and Schwanzenstolz?_

_Well, Klink and Schultz obviously returned to Stalag 13 - wherever it may be - and took Hogan with them.  
For if they didn't, what would we have to write about?  
Fortunately, thanks to Sgt. Moffitt, Captain Gruber has finally gotten his own story,  
so hopefully he won't be so nasty towards the prisoners anymore._

_As for Schwanzenstolz - I really don't know.  
But I'm inclined to believe that he, too, became a valuable asset to the Allied war effort in one way or another.  
After all, eventually all the inherently good guys do - no matter their nationality :-)_


End file.
